Wednesday, November 07, 2007

This is an interesting article that I thought was worth reflecting on. There does come a point when Caesar, though granted for his own reasons, casts an investigative eye at Christians. If we do not keep our house in order, then we must expect God to make use of the civil authority to chastise us even as He used Babylon to chasten did Israel. We cannot afford to say, as some Christian groups have said, that the morality of our leaders—clerical or lay—is a purely internal matter. Like it or not, Christians are called to be the "light of the world" and "a city on a hill." It is to us, our good works and our love for one another, that is meant to shine plainly so that—seeing us and the character and integrity of our lives—the world might come to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.

This does not mean that there is no privacy in the Christian life. But our respect for privacy and especially the dignity of the human person who, having fallen struggles to rise from sin, is not meant to excuse wrong doing. The Quaker community was so effective in the fight against slavery in Ante-Bellum America because it first made sure that no Quaker owned slaves. Rightly the world expects Christians to hold to the moral code we preach. Our failure to do so undermines not only our witness to the Gospel, it endangers our salvation.

In Christ,

+Fr Gregory

The Associated Press. Acting on tips about preachers who ride in Rolls Royces and have purportedly paid $30,000 for a conference table, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he's investigating the finances of six well-known TV ministers.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said those under scrutiny include faith healer Benny Hinn, Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar and one of the nation's best known female preachers, Joyce Meyer.

Grassley sent letters to the half-dozen Christian media ministries earlier this week requesting answers by Dec. 6 about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.

In a statement, Grassley said he was acting on complaints from the public and news coverage of the organizations.

"The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces," Grassley said.